Photographic drying-machine



.Aiw, DREYFQOS, PHOTOGRAPHIC DRYING MACHWL APPLICATION HUI 10128, 1915'.

Pmmted July 26, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET I 5931 4 m fl bt A w. DREYFOOS.,

PHOTOGRAPHS DRYING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED 00128,]919.

TBEBQSFEE fi n d uly 26, 1921,

2 SH:EETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER W. DREYFOOS, 0F MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DRYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 26, 1921.

Application filed October 28, 1919. Serial No. 333,939.

To aZZ w hermit may concern:

Be' it known that I, ALEXANDER W. Dun]?- roos, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Mount Vernon, county oi' W'estchestcr, State of New York have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic Drying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for dry in photographic prints.

lhe principal object oi the invention 1s to provide a machine, embodying an endless conveyor, for continuously drying photographic prints in large quantities. .Another object of the invention is to provide the machine with a heated tunnel through which the rints travel and 1n which they are dried uring translt.

A further object is to provide the m'achlne with a ventilating and heat circulating system designed to rapidly and thoroughly dry the prints.

A still further object is to provide novel means for holding and carrying the prints. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain features of con struction and combination of parts all of which will be fully set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference 1s to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures and in which; 35'

Figure l is a side elevation of the complete machine, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail. perspective view of one .of the print holders; and,

Fig. 4 is side view of a section of the convcyer showing prints positioned in the holders.

In order to give a photographic print a glossy finish it is customary to apply the print, by means of a squeegee face downward upon a japanncd tin platennd then to dry the print while in contact with. the plate.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a continuously operating machine for drying and burnishing the prints. By means of my machine I am enabled to handle lar e quantities of prints more expeditiously anc economically than with any oi the drying processes now used in the photographic art.

The operating parts of the machine are mounted 011 a suitable framework 1 and include a tunnel 2 having means for circulating hot air therein, and an endless conveyor serving to carry the prints through the tunnel.

The photographic prints; which. the machine is designed to dry are illustrated in Fig. i in which A indicatesaprint applied face downward upon a japanned tin plate B. The plates with prints adhering thereto are successively loaded on the conveyer at the front end of the machine and are then carried through the tunnel whence they are dis charged at the rear end with the prints in dried and finished. condition.

Mounted upon the main frame 1 is the tunnel 2, which in. the present instance is formed of a rectangular shaped casing as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A' series of gas pipes 3, each having a plurality of jets or discharge nozzles extend transversely across the bottom of the tunnel 2 and project through openings in the lower portion of one of the side walls of the tunnel which openings provide access for lighting the jets. Each of the pipes 3 is fitted with an individual control valve 4 and they are all coupled together by a pipe line 5 connecting with a main 6 and provided with a throttle valve 7. .VVhile I prefer to heat the air in the tunnel by means of burninggas jets I desire to have it understood that other heating means may be employed.

Extending lengthwise of the tunnel and mounted at intervals on struts 8 and crosspieccs 9 are a pair of spaced bars or rails 10 which serve as a bed or guide on which the upper reach of the conveyer travels.

Disposed above each of the gas pipes 3 and supported by the members 10 is a curved bafile-plate 11 which acts to direct the current of heated: air upward through the spaces between adjacent plates and to provide radiating surfaces. A wire gage screen 12 supported by the cross-pieces 5) extends substantially the full length and width of the tunnel and serves as a protective medium between the gas flames and the conveyor. From the foregoing description it-will be seen, that the lower portion of the tunnel, that is the portion below the members 10, constitutes a heating system for heating and directing the air current.

1 The upper part of the tunnel. is provided with a partition plate 13 supported on brackets 14 secured to the side walls. The plate 13 is formed with transversely extending slots or openings 15 at intervals throughout its length and serves, in conjunction with the top portion 01 the tunnel, as a flue for providing proper circulation of the heated air which is discharged through the vent or outlet 16 at the front end of the machine. If desired to operate the drier under artificial draft a suitable exhaust blower (not shown) may be connected to said outlet. To control the draft a slide 17 having openings 18 is provided which slide is operated by means of a handle 19 projecting from the rear end of the machine.

The conveyer comprises a pair of endless chains 20 carried on sprockets 21 and 22 mounted at the front and rear ends of the frame. An ad'ustiny; device or screw 23 may be provided or regulating the tension ofthe chains. A series of printholders,

shown in detail in Figs. 3 and hare fastened to and extend transversely of the chains. Each holder consists of a bottom member, formed of an angle 24-, and two upright members, formed of the angles 25, bolted together. The member 24 serves as a rest for the lower edge of the plate B and is formed with openings, as seen in Fig. 3, to permit of circulation of the heated air. The plate is supportedin an inclined position by abutment against the upright members 25 as shown in Fig. 4. This tilted positioning of the plate acts to deflect the ascending current of heated air against the back of the print on the immediately preceding plate and thereby assists in the rapid be made in the construction herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a drying chamber partly open at both ends and having an outlet at its top, a partition extending lengthwise in the up per portion of the chamber and having openings at spaced points, means for ad- 'ustin the areas of said 0 )enin s heating 6 D 3 b means disposed in the lower portion of the chamber, an endless conveyer having one of: its reaches extending lengthwise through the chamber above the heating means, and a series of inclined plate holders carried on the conveyor.

2. In a machine of the character described, a drying chamber partly open at both ends and having an outlet in its top, a partition extending lengthwise in the up per portion of the chamber and having openings at spaced points, an adjustable closure for said openings slidably mounted on. the partition, heating means disposed in the lower portion of the chamber, an endless conveyer having one of its reaches extending lengthwise through the chamber above the heating means, and a series of article holders carried on the conveyor, each including a perforated base rest and inclined back rests. v

3. A photographic drying machine, comprising a casing formed with a fine extending lengthwise of its upper portion, a heater disposed in the lower portion of the casing, an endless conveyor having its upper reach mounted to travel lengthwise through the casing above the heater, and a wire gauze disposed between the heater and the c011- veyer.-

4:. A photographic drying machine, comprising a casing formed with a flue extending lengthwise ot'its upper portion, a heater disposedjntlie lower portion of the casing consisting of series of gas jets and bailleplates mounted over the jets, an endless conveyer having its upper reach traveling above the heater, and a wire gauze disposed between'theheater and the conveyor.

ALEXANDER WV. DREYFOOS. 

